Looking for a simple way to find volunteer activities in your community?  Check out All for Good — a search engine to help you give back in your community.  With a database of more than 150,00 opportunities, you can search for activities based on your location or interests.  Then you get a listing that includes brief descriptions of the volunteer needs along with corresponding links to  organizations’ website where you can connect directly to coordinate your time and talent.  The site is free and receives volunteer listings from nonprofits and companies that help connect people to service events.  We think this one-stop access to volunteer opportunities is All for Good and good for all!

© YesKidzCan!, 2011

So you want to motivate your kids to take action around a cause that is important to them?  Why not try tapping into their love of all things “point and click?!”  Thanks to a Homepage Heroes, you can sit down with your kids and marvel at how far superior their technology skills are by creating a personal homepage that supports causes.  Your homepage serves as the gateway to online purchases from any of the 960 participating merchants.  Your transactions result in donations to the charity of your choice. You pay exactly the same product price you would normally pay and deal directly with the retailer.  You can even apply coupons or special offers! Create your own page, or use one of the site’s 70 backgrounds, various widgets, feeds, and search engines.   Your efforts will bring to mind a new spin on an old saying,  “Your homepage is where the heart is!”

© YesKidzCan!, 2011

We’ve become friends with a special new website that embraces our passion for imparting the basic concepts of social entrepreneurism at early school-ages.  Called KooDooZ, this social networking site offers a fun and creative virtual world where kids ages 9-15 can make money while making a difference.   By offering community and humanitarian challenges that enable kids to become online change agents, this educational tool teaches the “business” of community service while instilling in kids the belief that they can shape their world. Kids can can actuality track their time and progress and be awarded appropriate service credits, and KooDooZ works with parents, educators, and administrators to create experiences that enable kids to tap into their passion and creative talents which translate from the virtual world to the real world.  Sometimes, allowing our kids to spend time clicking and pointing is really worth it – we think this is one of those times.

Did you know that eBay has created the world’s first online marketplace of “People Positive” and “Eco Positive” sellers and products all in one place?  Called World of Good it is a phenomenal social good venture that you’ll want to explore for many reasons.

First, it offers you and your kids the opportunity to shop for things that align with your personal values.  Second, if you’re an organization wishing to sell a “good” product, you can easily sign up, and sell your products on the site.  Third, they have a “GoodPrint” labeling system that shows how each product is specifically bettering the world.  Last, A World of Good is helping to fund micro-enterprises around the world, and helping to raise the standard of living for many.

Ebay has created this social enterprise as a natural extension of its services, and this is an excellent teachable moment for our kids about ways that we can use the power of business for social good.

© YesKidzCan!, 2011

“Tis the season of shopping.  So, why not shop and give to charity at the same time.  NonprofitShoppingMall (NPSM)  makes it easy to do just this.  NPSM is a unique web-based tool that uses online shopping to drive revenue to nonprofit organizations.  NPSM lets you shop online for the items you normally buy, the brands you regularly choose at the prices you normally pay.  Then, a donation is made to charity you select from a list of participating nonprofits. The retailers who participate on NPSM pay a commission for the sales and a significant portion of those payments go to the nonprofit you have selected.  Stores include GAP, Northface, Staples, Target, Macy’s, iTunes, eBay, Athleta, and more! It’s do-good multi-tasking:  holiday shopping and charitable giving! 

© YesKidzCan!, 2010

Last week, we shared Social Change Technology:  Part One.    The field is evolving constantly, so we thought we would let you know about a few more easy ways to give.      

Donation Connect:  Here’s another super easy way to give to charity this busy holiday season.  Donation Connect brings all your charities to your phone.  When you download the app, and hit “Find Charity” you get a list of categories where you can select which charity to support.  The amount you choose to give will be charged to your wireless bill. 

GoodSearch:   If you’re like me and use search engines to try to quickly find that perfect gift this holiday, why not use a search engine which donates 50 percent of its sponsored search revenue to causes and schools selected by its users.  You use GoodSearch the way you would use any other search engine.  It’s powered by Yahoo!, so you get effective search results.  The funds GoodSearch donates to organizations come from its advertisers – consumers and beneficiaries do not spend a penny.  A similar kind of search engine to check out is Every Click  which is UK-based.

As we learn about technological advances that make your giving experiences faster, easier, or just plain cooler, we will pass them along.  And, let us know about those you come across. We’ll share them with our readers! 

 © YesKidzCan!, 2010

The hustle and bustle has begun.  The cooking and baking.  Decorating and gift lists. Preparing for guests.  Holiday events for adults and kids.  And shopping!   It’s a wonder we have time for the spirit of giving!  But thanks to technology, charitable giving can be as easy as point and click while you shop, socialize online, or use your cell phone.  And, since our kids tend to be more technologically savvy then we grown-ups, this is an easy and fun way to involve them in helping the “old folks” navigate this brave new world of apps and online charitable giving options.  Here are a few social good technologies to consider.  Later in the week, look for additional technology ideas!

CauseWorld: This is a mobile application that lets you help others while you shop.  It’s easy and costs you nothing.  When you go the grocery store, hardware store, or department store, pull out your iPhone, open the CauseWorld app, and scan the barcodes of various products.  You do not have to buy anything.  But, by using this click-in service, you earn “karmas” from CauseWorld sponsors like Proctor and Gamble, Citibank and Kraft who donate money for your checkins.  You can then donate those karmas to specific causes ranging from planting a tree to providing a meal to helping an injured animal to supporting medical research. 

Twitter Help Attack:   So many of us spend time on social networks like Twitter.  Now with Help Attack, you can earn “coins” for actions you take on your social network. You can pledge an amount of money for each action you take on your social network and then give it to your favorite charity.    

Make Poverty History :  The background choice for iPhones can be an extremely important decision – especially for the tweens and teens in our life! During the holiday season, you or your young phone owners can consider purchasing the 99 cent the Make Poverty History background.  Similar to the bracelets you see for certain causes, your purchase of this white band with the words “Make Poverty History” results in 100% of the profits going to charity.  With over 50 million iPhones sold worldwide, imagine the world of good it could do if a bunch of iPhone owners downloaded this particular app?!

I fully admit that I have often fought using technology.  (I am ashamed to share that I still use a paper calendar system.) But I do know how to conjugate Twitter as a verb and make friends online.  So, while we’re running around trying to find that last stocking stuffer, select the eighth Chanukah gift, or grab the only jar left of pumpkin spice, why not do something easy for ourselves and good for someone else by trying out one of these social good technologies. As long as our kids are within earshot to answer any questions we might have!  Wishing you a happy and easy season of giving!      

© YesKidzCan!, 2010